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The drink is good, but it could be made much, much more simply (and less expensively!) I went to cooking school in Spain and only used brandy and wine as the liquors. Add only enough brandy to cover the fruit mixture, then fill the pitcher halfway up with the other sodas, then fill it the rest of the way up with wine. Our teacher told us to use cheap red table wine because the complexity of the wine won't come out in a cocktail anyway - so save a few dollars there. It's also really nice to vary the fruit: try mango, blueberry, or kiwi next time. Omit the lemon - I've never heard of that in Sangria - and go for something more flavorful that you'll actually enjoy finding at the bottom of your glass.

These are the best madeleines I have ever made. This was the pastry that Marcel Proust enjoyed for inspiration - and it seems to have worked for him! The only problem with the recipe is that it yields so few of the cookies. I doubled the recipe last time and I only made about 16 servings. My madeleine pan is a little bit larger, but still, the cookies were gone in less than fifteen minutes. Usually a good thing, but I had wanted to enjoy a couple later. I added a touch of honey and I thought it turned out to be phenomenal. Good luck and thanks for the recipe!

Wonderful! However, maybe it is just me, but mine doesn't come out snow white, it's more of a golden brown. I don't know if I should leave it in for less time or just embrace the tan. Also, Pavlova is a New Zealand dessert, not an Australian one. Named after the ballerina, as said below, because she wanted a light, satisfying dessert as graceful as she. Because it is from New Zealand, use kiwis as well as strawberries for a hint of irony and a perfect flavor combination. I also use blackberries.

This is the best potato salad I have ever made. Running late once again for a dinner party, I ended up serving it warm. I apologized to my guests, but they loved it! So try this dish as a warm potato salad - the flavors come together so well.

This is my new favorite dip - and it's homemade! It's exceptional. I added a bay leaf (and took it out before serving), and some Louisiana Hot sauce as well as red pepper flakes to give it a more cajun zing. This dip is by far better when it's hot. When it is cold or room temperature it tastes faintly like a pate, which I am not at all fond of. Warm that sucker up in the oven if you're not serving it immediately (or in the extremely unlikely event that there are leftovers!).
*Makes an EXCELLENT hot salad dressing on top of a simple bed of mixed greens or wedge with avocado, cucumber, tomato, olives, and capers. The texture is perfect when it is just finished being cooked and hasn't set quite yet to pour over a salad for a unique cajun touch!

Lovely! These were a huge hit at a Mexican themed party recently. They didn't need meat at all and are very versatile. I used an 8-ounce bag of cheese and I suggest increasing the cheese and maybe using half cheddar and half pepperjack, because southwest is spicy, right? And I also increased the corn and added some taco seasoning. I used half of a white onion in addition to the green onion and I might use a jalapeno next time, too. For a sauce, I mixed pre-made ranch dip with hot salsa and that was a perfect complement. Yum!

YUM! Double the recipe, for sure. Also use the smallest scoop possible because they are very rich when you figure that it's really two cookies and decadent frosting in each bite. So, so tasty. The frosting is perfect, spot-on just like the Girl Scout cookies, but the cookies themselves are softer. I personally prefer these! They are more like a hybrid of oatmeal cream pies and the GS cookies. Wonderful, perfect, will make them again!

Interesting recipe - it's very quick and simple and really should be called a shortbread. This is a great one to "dress up" for the holidays - dip in almond bark, drizzle something on it, throw on some sprinkles, and it is quite a chic little cookie!

I served this recipe on a warm vanilla poundcake slice with honey Greek yogurt, and it was just okay. It was nothing spectacular. It was good the next day on a salad, but for a dessert there are better ways to end a meal.

A very simple, very good light Mexican Wedding Cake. I served these at a Mexican themed bridal shower, so they were a perfect dessert. I used black walnut extract because we were out of vanilla, but I strongly encourage you to use Mexican vanilla because it tastes a little different and isn't expensive. The only issue that I had was that these were very crumbly and they didn't all make it through the rolling in powdered sugar process. I will toast the walnuts next time, too. Great cookie!

Very good! I added some balsamic vinegar and I would say that this is a great side dish but not too versatile. Avoid the urge to add more to it and enjoy it for its simplicity. Cilantro does pull it all together, though!

So pretty! This really made the Thanksgiving centerpiece unique (and delicious) this year. We made a big platter with purple kale below it and surrounded it with mini pumpkins and gourds, and served bread rolls out of the cornucopia itself, then people were allowed to tear in to the horn when the rolls were gone. This was fun, easy, and a very inexpensive way to get a ton of compliments!

This dish was fine. It got the idea of sweet potato casserole across without resorting to tacky marshmellows. However, it certainly wasn't a complex or gourmet dish by any means. To elevate it, add different flavors, a contrast with crumbled bacon and paprika maybe. The crust on top was phenomenal, though, and I would suggest doubling the topping just to add more of it. I baked mine in a souffle dish and it looked nice on the table, but this is not going to be my go-to sweet potato casserole.

Wonderful dish. The contrast between the salty, meaty pork and pecans with the sweet autumn pumpkin butter was fantastic. Try it without sugar; it really isn't necessary. I've made this dish for my very picky boyfriend who is "morally opposed" to eating "meat with sweet" as he says, and he loved it anyway.

Amazing! This dish was the star of my five-course dinner party last night. 1 cup is the perfect amount of butterscotch chips. I followed the recipe as-is, except I used half-and-half instead of milk (calories don't count at parties), and I added cinnamon as per reviewers suggestions. This is a great dinner party dish because you can put it in the oven right before guests arrive and by the time everyone is ready for dessert the whole kitchen smells heavenly. I served it with warm Creme Anglaise II from this web site and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Perfect!